Justice Department Seeks Court Order to Isolate Alaska Ballots Amid Candidate Investigation

The federal legal actions and criminal probe could impact certification of a key Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, which is among those expected to determine control of the Senate.

• •The U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal judge to order state elections officials to preserve and segregate all ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan.
• •Federal officials confirmed the existence of a criminal probe into the recruitment of Senate candidate Dan J. Sullivan, who shares a name with Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan.
• •Federal prosecutors issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas and requests to preserve records this week.
• •The Justice Department filed a list of proposed questions it seeks to compel the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to answer in a civil case seeking to block certification if the incumbent loses.
• •State attorneys asked a judge to dismiss the case, arguing that ballot segregation is impossible without violating ballot secrecy protections and that state officials already distinguished the two candidates on the ballot.
• •Mary Peltola denied any knowledge of or involvement in efforts to recruit Dan J. Sullivan to run for the Senate.
• •Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into whether any violations took place regarding the ballot controversy.
• •The Alaska Democratic Party filed a lawsuit against state elections officials alleging absentee in-person voting sites failed to open as advertised in some rural communities.